Food product package having nested cup and cup holder

ABSTRACT

A package for a food product that is packaged in dry form and is prepared by adding liquid such as hot water, comprises a primary container formed as a tapered plastic drinking cup, and a cup holder also formed as a tapered plastic cup. The primary container and cup holder are configured so they are nestable inside each other. The package is convertible between a packaged configuration in which the cup holder is nested inside the primary container, and a serving configuration in which the primary container is nested inside the cup holder. The food product can be contained in the primary container or in the cup holder. A membrane can seal the cup holder closed. An outer wrapper such as a shrink band or label can hold the cup holder in the primary container and provide tamper evidence, and can also serve as a moisture and/or oxygen barrier.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a package for containing a dry food product,such as instant coffee, powdered cocoa, dehydrated soup, etc., whereinthe package includes a cup in which the food product is served aftermixing the food product with water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some convenience food products and hot beverages, such as coffee, hotcocoa, or soup, are often prepared from dry starting ingredients byadding hot water. For instance, one existing commercial productcomprises dry soup mix contained in an expanded polystyrene (EPS) cupand sealed closed by a membrane. To prepare and serve the soup, themembrane is removed and hot water is added to the cup. The soup can beeaten out of the EPS cup. Expanded polystyrene offers the advantage ofbeing a good thermal insulator, so that the cup can be held comfortablyin the hand as the soup is consumed.

Instant coffee and hot cocoa also are often prepared and served inexpanded polystyrene cups, although typically the dry instant coffee orpowdered cocoa mix are not packaged in the cup, but rather are packagedseparately in jars or single-serving packets.

While EPS is a good thermal insulator, it has other drawbacks. Forinstance, EPS by itself is a relatively poor oxygen and water vaporbarrier. Thus, for packaging food products that must be protected fromoxygen and/or water vapor infiltration, it is generally necessary to usebarrier EPS, which comprises a layer of EPS laminated to a barrier film.Widespread recycling of consumer food packages made of barrier EPS hasnot yet taken hold, which means such packages wind up in landfills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves otheradvantages, by providing a package for a food product such as instantcoffee, powdered cocoa, dry soup mix, or the like, that is prepared andserved in the package, wherein the package can be formed of materialsthat are widely recycled. In preferred embodiments the package can bethermoformed from polypropylene or the like.

In one embodiment of the invention, the package comprises a primarycontainer formed as a tapered plastic cup, and a cup holder also formedas a tapered plastic cup. The cup holder nests inside the primarycontainer when the food product is initially placed in the package andthe package is sealed. The food product can be contained in the bottomof the primary container, or alternatively in the bottom of the cupholder. A membrane is sealed across the top of the cup holder when itcontains the food product. A shrink film can envelope an upper portion,or all, of the package to hold the primary container and cup holdertogether and also prevent infiltration of debris, water vapor, andgases. The package is convertible into a serving configuration byremoving the shrink film and removing the cup holder from the primarycontainer. If the food product is contained in the cup holder, themembrane is peeled off and the food product is poured from the cupholder into the primary container. Then the primary container is nestedinside the cup holder, and hot or cold water is added and mixed with thefood product. The cup holder provides thermal insulation so as toprotect the consumer's hand from directly contacting the primarycontainer when the package is held in the hand. Thus, hot beverages orfood can be consumed from the package while the package is heldcomfortably in the hand.

The primary container includes a radially outwardly projecting rim atthe top. The cup holder has a radially outwardly projecting flange atits top end, and a skirt depends from the flange to form an annularchannel between the skirt and the side wall of the cup holder. In thepackaged configuration of the package, when the cup holder is nestedinto the primary container, the rim of the primary container is receivedup into the channel of the cup holder. A snap fit between the cup holderand primary container can be provided, if desired. The skirt preferablyis flared outwardly toward its lower end, and includes an outwardlyprojecting flange at its lower end, to form a relatively wide structurethat is easily gripped. The skirt and flange also help provide stabilityto the package when inserted into an automobile cup holder.

The shrink film that is wrapped about the package in the packagedconfiguration can provide tamper evidence. In one embodiment, the filmextends at least part of the way down the primary container and includesa line of weakness (perforations or the like) permitting an upper partof the film to be detached from a lower part so that the upper part canbe removed to convert the package into the serving configuration. Thelower part of the film remains on the primary container. The film can beprinted with visual elements such as indicia or graphics.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cup holder and primarycontainer have cooperating locking features that engage each other whenthe package is in the serving configuration to lock the primarycontainer into the cup holder. The locking features can comprise one ormore projections and recesses. For example, in a preferred embodimentthe inner surface of the cup holder defines a circumferential groove andthe outer surface of the primary container defines a circumferentialridge or raised region that engages the groove of the cup holder. Therecan be more than one groove and ridge axially spaced apart. Thegroove(s) and/or ridge(s) can extend completely or partially about thecircumference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package in accordance with a firstembodiment of the invention, shown in the packaged configuration priorto initial opening of the package;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the package taken on line 2-2 inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the package in the servingconfiguration;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5A through 5D depict a series of steps for converting the packagefrom the packaged configuration to the serving configuration;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a package in accordance with asecond embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a cup holder of the package in accordance with yet anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a package in accordance with a stillfurther embodiment of the invention; shown in the packagedconfiguration;

FIG. 8B shows the primary container of the package of FIG. 8A after thecup holder has been removed;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a package in accordance with stillanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line 10-10 in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 shows a stack of nested packages as depicted in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

A package 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention isshown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The package comprises a primary container 20formed as a tapered plastic cup, and a cup holder 30 also formed as atapered plastic cup. The primary container 20 includes a bottom wall 22,a generally conical side wall 24 that is integrally formed with andprojects upward from the bottom wall, and a rim 26 formed at the top endof the side wall. The rim 26 projects radially outwardly from the sidewall 24, and can have various forms; in the illustrated embodiment therim is a flat flange, but alternatively the rim could be rolled orotherwise configured. The primary container also includes a pair ofraised regions or ridges 28 that extend about the circumference of theside wall 24 near the bottom wall 22 and project radially outwardly fromthe side wall. As further described below, these ridges 28 cooperatewith features on the cup holder 30.

The cup holder 30 includes a bottom wall 32 and a generally conical sidewall 34 that is integrally formed with and projects upward from thebottom wall. At the top end of the side wall 34, a flange 35 projectsradially outwardly and is joined at its outer edge to a skirt 36 thatdepends from the flange. The skirt flares slightly outwardly toward itslower end. An outwardly projecting flange 37 extends from the lower endof the skirt. Between the side wall 34 of the cup holder and the skirt36, an annular channel 38 is defined. A pair of circumferential grooves39 are formed in the inner surface of the cup holder 30 for cooperatingwith the ridges 28 of the primary container, as further described below.

The package 10 is convertible between a packaged configuration as shownin FIGS. 1 and 2, and a serving configuration as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.The packaged configuration is the configuration in which the package isfilled and sealed by the food packager, and in which the package isshipped to a retail store and displayed. In the packaged configuration,the cup holder 30 is nested inside the primary container 20; the cupholder and primary container are suitably configured to allow suchnesting, for example by virtue of the cone half-angle of their sidewalls 24, 34 being substantially the same, and their bottom walls 22, 32having substantially the same outer diameter. The rim 26 of the primarycontainer is received up into the channel 38 of the cup holder; a snapfit between the rim and the cup holder can be provided, if desired, toresist inadvertent separation of the cup holder and primary container.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, a food product 40 is contained in thecup holder 30 in the packaged configuration of the package. The foodproduct can be of various types, including but not limited to instantcoffee power or crystals, powdered drink mix of other types, dry soupmix, cocoa powder, etc., to which liquid (e.g., hot or cold water, milk,etc.) is added to prepare the food product for consumption. To seal thefood product in the cup holder, the package preferably includes amembrane 42 that is attached by any suitable method (includingheat-sealing, adhesively attaching, etc.) to the flange 35 of the cupholder. The cup holder 30 can be formed to provide a barrier against thepassage of moisture and oxygen; for example, the cup holder can beformed of a multi-layered material wherein at least one layer comprisesa barrier material. The membrane 42 likewise can serve as a gas and/ormoisture barrier, as well as preventing the food product from escapingthe cup holder and preventing foreign matter from infiltrating the cupholder after the package is initially filled and sealed. The membrane 42can be a single-layer or multi-layer structure including suitablepolymer, foil, and/or paper layers as required for the particular needsof the package.

The package 10 also includes an outer wrapper 44 that is wrapped aboutthe upper ends of the cup holder and primary container. The wrapper 44can serve to prevent the cup holder and primary container from beingdetached from each other until the consumer opens the package, as wellas to provide an indication of tampering. The wrapper 44 preferably is ashrink film that is heat-shrunk about the package so that it tightlysurrounds the package in such a manner that removing it can beaccomplished only by breaking it, similar to shrink wraps or bands usedon other types of packaging.

As depicted in FIGS. 5A through 5D, when the consumer desires to consumethe food product, the wrapper 44 is removed and the cup holder 30 isremoved from the primary container 20 (FIG. 5B); the membrane 42 ispeeled off the cup holder 30 and the food product 40 is poured into theprimary container (FIG. 5C); and the primary container 20 is nested intothe cup holder 30 and liquid is added to the primary container and mixedwith the food product.

FIG. 4 shows the package in the serving configuration. The bottom wall22 of the primary container 20 is in substantially abutting relationwith the bottom wall 32 of the cup holder. The ridges 28 of the primarycontainer 20 engage the grooves 39 in the inner surface of the cupholder 30 in a snap-fit fashion so as to “lock” the primary container inthe cup holder, although the snap-fit only resists rather thancompletely prevents detachment; the primary container can be removedfrom the cup holder by pulling upward on it with sufficient force todeform the ridges 28 and grooves 39.

FIG. 6 depicts a package 10′ in accordance with another embodiment ofthe invention. The package includes a primary container 20 and cupholder 30 substantially as previously described. In this embodiment,however, the food product 40 is contained in the primary container 20 inthe packaged configuration. The primary container can be formed toprovide a barrier against the passage of moisture and oxygen; forexample, the primary container can be formed of a multi-layered materialwherein at least one layer comprises a barrier material. The foodproduct is contained in a space between the bottom wall 22 of theprimary container and the bottom wall 32 of the cup holder; this spaceis provided by virtue of the cup holder being shorter in length that theprimary container. The package also includes an outer wrapper 44′ thattightly surrounds the upper ends of the primary container and cup holderto keep them from coming apart and to provide tamper evidence, as in thepreviously described embodiment. In this embodiment, the wrapper 44′ canalso serve the function of sealing the food product 40 againstinfiltration of moisture and/or oxygen, if such a barrier is requiredfor the food product. The wrapper can incorporate any suitable barriermaterial for moisture and/or oxygen.

FIGS. 8A and 8B depict a package 10″ in accordance with yet anotherembodiment of the invention. The package includes a primary container 20and cup holder (not visible) substantially as described in the previousembodiments, and a wrapper 44″ that tightly surrounds the upper ends ofthe primary container and cup holder to hold them together. The wrappercan also provide a barrier function, if needed, as well as tamperevidence. In this embodiment, the wrapper includes a line of weakness46, such as a line of perforations, which permits an upper part 48 ofthe wrapper above the line 46 to be severed from a lower part 50 of thewrapper below the line and removed from the package. The lower part 50of the wrapper thus remains on the primary container 20. FIG. 8B showsthe primary container 20 after the cup holder has been removed from it.The lower part 50 of the wrapper can include visual elements 52, such asindicia as shown, and/or graphic elements. The positioning of the lowerpart 50 of the wrapper and the visual elements 52 can be such that thevisual elements remain visible above the top of the cup holder when theprimary container is inserted into the cup holder.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a cup holder 30′ in accordancewith the invention. The cup holder 30′ is generally the same as the cupholder previously described, except that the side wall 34 includes ribs54 that project radially inwardly from the inner surface of the sidewall. The ribs 54 are configured to abut the outer surface of theprimary container when the package is in the serving configuration as inFIGS. 3 and 4. The ribs thus ensure that there is an air space betweenthe cup holder and the primary container, thereby thermally isolatingthe cup holder from the primary container. This is especially beneficialwhen the primary container is used for hot beverages or foods that wouldmake the primary container too hot to be comfortably held in the hand.

The outer wrapper or shrink band of the previously disclosed embodimentsextends fully across the top end of the package. However, this wouldprevent nesting of multiple packages. In another embodiment of a package110 shown in FIGS. 9 through 11, the packages are configured to benestable in a stack. The package 110 includes a primary container 120and cup holder 130 substantially as previously described. The foodproduct 40 is contained in the primary container 120. The two componentsare held together and the package is sealed by an outer wrapper orshrink band 144 that does not extend fully across the top end of the cupholder. The inner or upper edge 146 of the band 144 extends partiallyover the top of the cup and closely fits against the inner surface atthe top end of the cup holder. Accordingly, the cup holder remains openat the top. Therefore, multiple packages 110 can be nested in a stack asshown in FIG. 11. In this embodiment, the cup holder and primarycontainer can both incorporate a barrier material to resist passage ofmoisture and/or oxygen, as can the shrink band.

In the various embodiments described above, the primary container andcup holder advantageously are formed of a suitable plastic material.Thermoplastic materials that are certified by applicable regulatoryagencies for food contact can be used, such as polypropylene,polyethylene, polystyrene, and others. These parts can be formed byvarious techniques. One advantageous technique is thermoforming.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

1. A package for containing a food product that is prepared forconsumption by mixing with liquid, the package serving as a vessel forthe preparation as well as a container in which the prepared foodproduct is served, the package comprising: a primary containercomprising a tapered plastic cup having a radially outwardly projectingrim at a top end of the cup; and a cup holder comprising a taperedplastic cup having a radially outwardly projecting flange at a top endthereof and an elongated skirt depending from the flange such that achannel is defined between the skirt and a side wall of the cup holder;the cup holder and primary container being complementarily configured tobe nestable inside each other such that the package is convertiblebetween a packaged configuration in which the cup holder is nestedinside the primary container, and a serving configuration in which theprimary container is nested inside the cup holder; the channel of thecup holder being configured to receive the rim of the primary containerwhen the package is in the packaged configuration.
 2. The package ofclaim 1, further comprising complementary locking features on the cupholder and primary container for locking the primary container into thecup holder in the serving configuration of the package.
 3. The packageof claim 2, wherein the locking features comprise a projection formed onone of the cup holder and primary container and a recess formed on theother of the cup holder and primary container, the projection engagingthe recess in the serving configuration.
 4. The package of claim 3,wherein the recess is formed in an inner surface of the cup holder andthe projection is formed on an outer surface of the primary container.5. The package of claim 4, wherein the recess comprises a grooveextending circumferentially about the inner surface of the cup holder,and the projection comprises a raised region extending circumferentiallyabout the primary container.
 6. The package of claim 5, wherein the cupholder includes a second recess, the recesses being axially spaced, andthe primary container includes a second raised region, the raisedregions being axially spaced.
 7. The package of claim 1, furthercomprising spacing members formed on one of the cup holder and primarycontainer for spacing a side wall of the cup holder from a side wall ofthe primary container in the serving configuration of the package,whereby the cup holder provides thermal isolation from the primarycontainer.
 8. The package of claim 7, wherein the spacing memberscomprise ribs.
 9. The package of claim 8, wherein the ribs projectinwardly from an inner surface of the side wall of the cup holder andabut an outer surface of the side wall of the primary container in theserving configuration.
 10. The package of claim 1, comprising a foodproduct contained in the package in the packaged configuration.
 11. Thepackage of claim 10, wherein the cup holder is shorter than the primarycontainer such that in the packaged configuration a space is definedbetween a bottom wall of the cup holder and a bottom wall of the primarycontainer, the food product being disposed in said space.
 12. Thepackage of claim 11, further comprising a wrapper wrapped about at leastthe top ends of the cup holder and primary container in the packagedconfiguration for sealing the food product in the package and holdingthe cup holder and primary container together.
 13. The package of claim12, wherein the wrapper comprises a shrink film.
 14. The package ofclaim 10, wherein the food product is contained in the cup holder in thepackaged configuration.
 15. The package of claim 14, further comprisinga membrane sealed to the top end of the cup holder for sealing the foodproduct in the package.
 16. The package of claim 15, further comprisinga wrapper wrapped about at least the top ends of the cup holder andprimary container in the packaged configuration for holding the cupholder and primary container together.
 17. The package of claim 16,wherein the wrapper comprises a shrink film.
 18. The package of claim10, wherein the food product comprises a dry beverage mix.
 19. Thepackage of claim 1, wherein the rim of the primary container comprises aflat flange.
 20. The package of claim 1, wherein the primary containerand cup holder comprise thermoplastic.
 21. The package of claim 20,wherein the primary container and cup holder are thermoformed.
 22. Thepackage of claim 1, wherein the skirt of the cup holder is flaredradially outwardly toward a lower end of the skirt.
 23. The package ofclaim 1, wherein the lower end of the skirt includes a radiallyoutwardly projecting flange.
 24. The package of claim 1, furthercomprising a shrink film wrapped about the top ends of the cup holderand primary container in the packaged configuration, the shrink filmextending at least partway along the length of the primary container,the shrink film including a line of weakness allowing an upper portionof the shrink film to be detached from a lower portion of the shrinkfilm and removed from the package while the lower portion of the shrinkfilm remains wrapped about the primary container such that the packagecan be converted to the serving configuration.
 25. The package of claim24, wherein the shrink film is printed with visual elements.
 26. Thepackage of claim 1, further comprising a food product contained in theprimary container in the packaged configuration, and a shrink bandwrapped about the top ends of the cup holder and primary container toseal the package and hold the primary container and cup holder together,the shrink band terminating at an upper edge proximate the flange at thetop end such that the cup holder remains open at the top end, permittingmultiple ones of the packages to be nested inside one another in thepackaged configuration.
 27. A package for containing a food product thatis prepared for consumption by mixing with liquid, the package servingas a vessel for the preparation as well as a container in which theprepared food product is served, the package comprising: a primarycontainer comprising a tapered plastic cup; and a cup holder comprisinga tapered plastic cup having a radially outwardly projecting flange at atop end thereof; the cup holder and primary container beingcomplementarily configured to be nestable inside each other such thatthe package is convertible between a packaged configuration in which thecup holder is nested inside the primary container, and a servingconfiguration in which the primary container is nested inside the cupholder; and a flexible web attached to at least the top end of the cupholder when the package is in the packaged configuration; wherein theweb and at least one of the cup holder and primary container comprisematerials providing a barrier against the passage of moisture and/oroxygen.